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I got to Geauga Lake excited to add more wooden coasters to my resume. Especially larger ones. And the massive Villain overlooking the park proved to be quite a monster. My wife and I noted the wild west theming in the queue area and station. It was a cool, rainy Sunday in the fall so it was a walk on. We boarded the infamous Gerstlaur trains in no time. Im a steel guy so I have no clue why woodie fans are up in arms so to speak about these trains. I really couldnt tell the difference. The first drop is great until you dive through its steel structure at the bottom of the drop and hit the "trick track". Why youd put a manuever like that (the track dips you to the right and then to the left) at the point when the train is at top speed, I dont know. The Villain is about five years old, maybe it wasnt SO rough when it opened but nonetheless, it was a bit painful. The worst part for me was during the climb to the first turnaround not long after the trick track. I defintely got an unwanted spine-adjustment going up the hill to the turnaround. Its a shame it started out that way because the rest of the ride is fun and feels really, really fast. With more great drops and a fairly smooth ride. The Villain will probably go down as my highest rated 6. It offers height, speed, some theming and a great second half. Ultimately, it misses out on scoring higher because of the roughness of the beginning. I just cant give a coaster with Herculean roughness my "Good" rating no matter how much fun the second half is. Final Rating 6.5 - (Well Above Average-Approaching Good)
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